Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment 2020 Policy

1 Gender Equality AND women S Empowerment 2020 Policy Photo: Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom for USAID EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 INTRODUCTION3 VISION, OBJECTIVES, & DEFINITIONS 9 OPERATIONAL PRINCIPLES13 GLOBAL SNAPSHOTS 21 AGENCY REQUIREMENTS45 CONCLUSION49 ENDNOTES50 CONTENTSP hoto: Bobby Neptune / USAID 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARYOur vision is of a prosperous and peaceful world in which women , girls, men, and boys enjoy equal economic , social, cultural, civil, and political rights and are equally empowered to secure better lives for themselves, their families, their communities, and their countries.

2 The Agency for International Development (USAID) achieves greater and more sustainable development outcomes by integrating Gender Equality and women s Empowerment throughout our USAID, we are committed to empowering women and girls across the globe to advance communities in our partner countries on the Journey to Self-Reliance because we know no country can succeed if it excludes the talents and voices of its female population. Ensuring women and girls can reach their full potential in society is critical not only to attain Gender Equality and women s Empowerment , but also to meet sustainable development this Policy , and consistent with Public Law 115-428, the women s Entrepreneurship and economic Empowerment Act (WEEE Act) of 2018, USAID s investments in supporting Gender Equality and women s Empowerment aim to achieve the following five strategic objectives, which reflect the spectrum of activities we undertake across all sectors and fields to advance this Policy s vision and increase self-reliance.

3 Reduce disparities between women and men in access to, control over, and benefit from economic , social, political, educational, and cultural resources, as well as wealth, opportunities, and services; Strive to eliminate Gender -based violence (GBV), which affects women s abilities to thrive and succeed,1 and mitigate its harmful effects on individuals and communities, so all people can live healthy and productive lives; Increase the capability of women and girls to exercise their basic and legal rights fully, determine their life outcomes, assume leadership roles, and influence decision-making in households, communities, and societies; Support strategies and activities that secure private-property rights and land tenure for women .

4 And, Improve the access of women and girls to education, including opportunities for higher education and workforce goal of this Policy is to improve the lives of people around the world by advancing Gender Equality and empowering women and girls to participate fully in, and equally benefit from, the development of their societies on the same basis as men. This Policy supersedes and replaces the 2012 Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy in its principles underpin our commitment to Equality between men and women and the Empowerment , protection, and participation of all women , girls, men, and boys in their societies:1 Integrate Equality between women and men and women s Empowerment into all of USAID s work;2 Engage men and boys;3 Address the unique challenges of crises and conflict;4 Build partnerships across a wide range of stakeholders;5 Drive decision-making and investments by using evidence and data;6 Hold ourselves accountable;7 Do no harm.

5 And,8 Pursue an inclusive Photo: Bobby Neptune / USAID 3 The Agency for International Development (USAID) believes that Gender Equality and women s Empowerment are fundamental for the realization of unalienable human rights2 that is, rights inherent in all persons and that are universal and non-transferable and key to effective and sustainable development outcomes. For societies to thrive, women and girls must have equal and safe access to resources, such as education, health care, capital, technology, water and sanitation services, land, markets, and justice. They also must have equal rights and opportunities as business owners, citizens, peacebuilders, and leaders.

6 Equality among women , girls, men, and boys improves the overall quality of life for all people across their IN Gender Equality AND women S Empowerment CAN UNLOCK HUMAN POTENTIAL ON A TRANSFORMATIONAL SCALES ocieties with greater Equality between women and men experience faster economic growth; increased agricultural productivity, resilience, and water security; and, improved food security and nutrition. Empowering women to participate in and lead public and private institutions makes these institutions more representative and effective. Increasing women s and girls education and access to resources improves the health and education of the next generation.

7 Additionally, women play critical roles as effective advocates for peace, community leaders, and champions of civil and human rights. We know that nations, communities, and families are more secure and prosperous when women can participate equally in all aspects of life and when they have the ability and agency to achieve equal outcomes to those of men. For example, when women meaningfully participate at the negotiating table, peace agreements are more likely to succeed and result in lasting Similarly, USAID has also shown the importance of engaging men and boys not only for their own well-being and to become better family and community members, but also as allies and positive agents of change for women and girls to improve development Equality AND women S Empowerment ARE FOUNDATIONAL DRIVERS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-RELIANCE USAID is committed to supporting communities in our partner countries along their Journeys to Self-Reliance.

8 With the engagement of governments, civil society, faith-based organizations, and the private sector. Self-reliance is a country s capacity to plan, finance, and implement solutions to its own development challenges, and includes a commitment to see these solutions through effectively, inclusively, and with accountability. To be effective, individuals within societies must have equal access to opportunities, resources, benefits, and legal protections. This, in turn, empowers and enables them to help shape their lives and contribute positively to their families, communities, and countries. Simply put, societies that demonstrate a commitment to enabling, empowering, and taking advantage of the full participation and skills of women are more likely to achieve self-reliance by strengthening local institutions; improving human and institutional capacity; fostering sustainable economic growth; and, moving toward inclusive, citizen-responsive, and democratic governance.

9 For example, women -led businesses can significantly outperform their peers: female entrepreneurs in some studies grew their revenues times faster and created jobs twice as fast as male women S Empowerment SUPPORTS AMERICAN VALUES AND FOREIGN- Policy PRIORITIES The President s 2017 National Security Strategy (NSS)5 states the United States, will support efforts to advance women s Equality , protect the rights of women and girls, and promote women and youth Empowerment programs. The NSS clearly identifies women s Equality and Empowerment worldwide as both American values and foreign- Policy priorities, by noting that, governments that fail to treat women equally do not allow their societies to reach their potential.

10 6 Further, the Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) of the Department of State (DOS) and USAID for Fiscal Years (FY) 2018-20227 recognizes, societies that empower women to participate fully in civic and economic life are more prosperous and peaceful. The JSP also endorses the transformative effects of women s economic Empowerment for families and communities and commits to supporting women s economic Empowerment as a driver of development, including by championing girls education and striving to eliminate Gender -based violence, which affects women s ability to thrive and succeed. Through this Policy , USAID supports the JSP, which directs USAID and the DOS to strengthen democratic, transparent, representative, and citizen-responsive governance, and to include women in political and economic : USAID 5 Country Roadmaps and Self-Reliance IndicatorsThe Country Roadmap is the analytic tool developed by USAID to visualize where each country is in its Journey to Self-Reliance, both as an individual country and relative to the rest of the world.